GlennDean wrote:The referent (antecedant) of ὅ (which is neuter pronoun) can't be τοῦ λόγου (which is masc noun), since the antecedant of a pronoun must match in number-gender

That's not true. As many have pointed out in previous forum posts, the neuter article (as here) and the neuter pronoun can be used to refer to anything, especially if it is "logically" neuter (such as a group of things or something not defined yet).

John Brainard wrote:Would the referent be τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς or would it be something else?

However, I would say that the referent is grammatically not the "λογου της ζωης" in verse 1, but rather the "ζωη" in verse 2, which was "from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen ...", which "was manifested, and we have seen and we testify and announce to you".

However, I would say that the referent is grammatically not the "λογου της ζωης" in verse 1, but rather the "ζωη" in verse 2, which was "from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen ...", which "was manifested, and we have seen and we testify and announce to you".

What if λογου της ζωης was understood as a genitive apposition? "The Word which is Life"

GlennDean wrote:The referent (antecedant) of ὅ (which is neuter pronoun) can't be τοῦ λόγου (which is masc noun), since the antecedant of a pronoun must match in number-gender

That's not true. As many have pointed out in previous forum posts, the neuter article (as here) and the neuter pronoun can be used to refer to anything, especially if it is "logically" neuter (such as a group of things or something not defined yet).

ὅ is not a neuter article. It is a relative pronoun. Accentuation is your friend.

GlennDean wrote:The referent (antecedant) of ὅ (which is neuter pronoun) can't be τοῦ λόγου (which is masc noun), since the antecedant of a pronoun must match in number-gender

That's not true. As many have pointed out in previous forum posts, the neuter article (as here) and the neuter pronoun can be used to refer to anything, especially if it is "logically" neuter (such as a group of things or something not defined yet).

ὅ is not a neuter article. It is a relative pronoun. Accentuation is your friend.

Stephen

Oops sorry I said "the neuter article and ..." instead of "the neuter article and the relative pronoun". I meant to refer to all neuter references.

ὃ functions as a conceptual (it references the topic to be discussed, the big picture) antecedent or "postcedent," as here. Indeed, it could be cogently argued that it refers to περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς. And the subsequent verses expand upon this concept.

Alan Patterson wrote:ὃ functions as a conceptual (it references the topic to be discussed, the big picture) antecedent or "postcedent," as here. Indeed, it could be cogently argued that it refers to περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς. And the subsequent verses expand upon this concept.

I agree that we can consider what the conceptual referent of ὅ is. But a referent is an entity that's part of the common ground shared between the speaker and listener--not a linguistic expression. Nobody actually heard, saw, beheld or touched the prepositional phrase, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς. Rather, they heard, saw, beheld, and touched some entity. So, instead of saying that ὅ refers to a particular linguistic expression, why not just state what entity it refers to (presumably characterized as the Word of Life or, equivalently, Jesus Christ)?

I agree that we can consider what the conceptual referent of ὅ is. But a referent is an entity that's part of the common ground shared between the speaker and listener--not a linguistic expression. Nobody actually heard, saw, beheld or touched the prepositional phrase, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς . Rather, they heard, saw, beheld, and touched some entity. So, instead of saying that ὅ refers to a particular linguistic expression, why not just state what entity it refers to (presumably characterized as the Word of Life or, equivalently, Jesus Christ)?

Stephen, I contend that the Topic/Concept/Subject at hand is περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς, concerning/with reference to the word of life. And, as you suggested, the Word of Life or, equivalently, Jesus Christ. The clue is in the antecedent neuter relative pronouns. John is not referencing Jesus Christ directly, a person, an entity, rather he is describing characteristics with reference to Jesus Christ.

Finally, you wrote:

Rather, they heard, saw, beheld, and touched some entity

I agree as long as you include τῆς ζωῆς, which John does in the following verses.